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I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I've signed up for the Montane Lakeland 100 in July 2013.  I will have mentioned before that I have zero navigational skills and a like to recce courses that require such skills.  One less (major) thing to worry about on race day.  Plus, I think if you get lost in a ultra race, you've only got yourself to blame.

My lovely sponsor the ULTRAmarathonRunningStore.com sent me a pair of Drymax Maximum Protection Running socks to try, so I thought I'd put them to a proper test and saved them for my first Lakeland 100 training run.  As you will see from the before and after pictures, I certainly put them through the wringer!  See below for the science bit and my thoughts.

Lakeland 100 training Episode one:  The GM an I were going to join the organised recce run that was planned for Saturday afternoon.  I would have liked to have met up for fellow race runners, but we decided against because 1) The main priority of the trip was to learn the route 2) I would have blindly followed the runners in front, therefore not concentrating on the track 3) The organised run was leaving later in the afternoon, with the aim of giving runners experience of night running  4) So, we would need to go back and run the sections in daylight 5) If you're running in the dark, you could be anywhere and I wanted to experience the views 6) With a fairly lengthy journey either side of the run, it would be midnight by the time we got home. All reasons to go at it alone.

After much debating, we decided on the sections from Braithwaite to Dalemain.  Estimated mileage 26.  Our total mileage? 29. Of course there was always going to be a few detours. We left Glasgow at 6am and arrived at Dalemain House just before 8am and took a taxi back the 19 road miles to Braithwaite. The biggest shocker of the day was the £60 taxi fare! But hey, we were at the start of the section and we HAD to run the course to get back to the car.  We packed emergency taxi money just in case though!

I did carry a map, but to be honest if could have been a map for the Inca Trail for all I knew.  Thankfully, the route descriptions - the step-by-step guide - which are downloadable from the race website are top-notch.   Prior to the trip I watched JK's Lakeland videos, which I must say were invaluable.  Not for directions, but for reassurance we were on the right route.  Although I was fairly disappointed not to see the caretaker from Dave's school ;-)

The weather forecast was for heavy rain - all day - and it did not disappoint. It tipped.  And after a few hours the initial euphoria wore off and we were left soaking and shivering.  My hands wouldn't work, my brain became defunct and we became pretty lackadaisical about following the route description.



AVOID Gowbarrow Fell!

On the last section - from Dockray to Dalemain - we saw the sign for Gowbarrow Fell.  Recalling the name from the route sheets we started stomping up the steep hill.  It's funny how when you're not quite sure that you're going in the right direction, you look for signs to make things fit.  Like a kid trying to squeeze together jigsaw pieces.  It just didn't seem right.  And when I saw the Cairn at the top, I knew it was just a hill walk, not part of the route.

Of couse backtracking on the description, it clearly states: "AVOID left permissive path to Gowbarrow Fell". Lesson learned.  Although best make mistakes on a training run, and not in the race. 

Back down the hill and back on track.  Thankfully the route took us through some gorgeous woods and contoured around Gowbarrow with the most amazing views over Ullswater - which certainly lightened the mood. It's truly magical.  Even in the rain and mist.  I think the backdrop, coupled with recognising the (reassuring) points from JK's videos - certainly perked us up a bit. When we hit the old ruins and made the required right turn, I ran down to Swinburn’s Park with the same excitement as my number being called in Argos. I never thought simply going to the right way could feel so amazing!

The adventure wasn't quite over though, as we had to negotiate a few shoe-sucking muddy fields and then got lost in Dacre trying to find the route passed the castle. 

Eventually we made it back to Dalemain House in a total time of 5:48.  That wasn't too bad considering we had to follow a map into the unknown and take a few detours. I absolutely loved the route and even now, I'm still on a bit of a high from the run.

I think it took us longer to get changed into dry clothes that it did to drive back to Glasgow. I'm sure the passing tradesmen were slightly suspicious of steamed-up Mini in an empty carpark with wet clothes being disgarded out the windows and doors!

...NOW MORE ABOUT THE SOCKS...

I'll be honest, I not sure I would fork out £22 for a pair of socks.  It's right up there with £60 taxi fares!  However I do think - with most things in life - you get what you pay for.   I've made no secret that my feet have been causing me problems this year.  There's not been a race where my feet haven't let me down, so I'm willing to try anything.  Any pay anything!

Here's the science bit...Maximum Protection Running socks are made using the patented Blister Guard® system. This system incorporates Friction Free® Profilen® fibers throughout the entire foot area of the sock. Profilen’s chemical name is Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). PTFE has the lowest Coefficient of Friction of any solid material.

That was as clear as mud to me too.  Just skip the rest and watch the video at the bottom.
Why we get blisters: Feet get hot and perspire, causing socks to become wet. Moisture significantly increases friction (stickiness) between socks and skin. The higher the friction, the greater the chance of getting blisters. Higher friction limits skin surface movement, yet still allows inner tissue movement causing a shearing effect. This physically separates the two layers which fill with fluid, forming a blister.

Their Blister Guard® System:  Drymax Maximum Protection Running socks were designed to prevent blisters during triathlons, marathons and ultra-long distance runs. In addition, they will help people who are just prone to getting blisters.   Profilen and Drymax fibers blended together provide Maximum Protection for your feet. This scientific approach keeps feet dry and the friction between the skin and sock low. Runners who wear Maximum Protection Running socks will have cooler, drier, more comfortable feet, while significantly lowering the chance of getting blisters. They possess top mesh air panels which release heat and sweat vapor out of the top of the sock and shoe.



The proof  of the pudding...After nearly six hours in the pouring rain, I can report that my feet were comfortable the whole day.  No hot spots and no blisters.  So yeah, you get what you pay for.

My running bucket list

I don't plan on checking out any time soon, but I love a good to-do-list. Granted I may have to rely on a lottery win, a full-time nanny and advances in medical science to see me through this list, but a girl can dream. And writing (or typing) them down is a step closer. I don't know about you, but I want to do everything. Running magazines, internet browsing, blogs, social media etc..all just add fuel to the fire. There are so many races, but so little time.

Ultra-distance and multi-day

Himalayan 100-mile Stage Race: I think I have mentioned this race quite a few times over the years and it - in my eyes - rightfully deserves it place at the top of my bucket list. The race is run in October over five days of 24 (with 10,000ft), 10, 26, 13 and 17 miles. The course is most often described as the "most spectacular running course in the world" due to the panoramic views of the world's highest mountains. I would love to the do the Everest Marathon one day, but I'll need to wait until Cairn is old enough to join me on the 26 day trip.

Montane Lakeland 100: This was on the cards for this year, but I changed early on in favour of the Grand Union Canal Race - for reasons which escape me. Known as the "Ultra Tour of the Lake District" the long-distance trail is a circular route which encompasses the whole of the lakeland fells, with approximately 6300m of ascent. With a failure rate of up to 60%, the finisher's medal is a treasured possession.

Comrades Marathon: The ultimate Human Race. Although on a 55-mile course in South Africa is a little more than a marathon, so could be accused of false advertising. The race attracts a huge field of 12,000 runners and has some extraordinary traditions. Firstly, in odd years the course drops down 2,300 feet from Pietermaritzburg to Durbam. The next it reverses itself up the hill. My South African friend, Rob told me both ways are just as challenging and you're not a true Comrade until you've done both. Then there's the race numbers: International runners get blue, runners in their 10th year get yellow. Once you've completed 10 you get a green number, which is yours forever. No on can ever wear that number, apart from you. Ever. The most notorious tradition is the gun fire finish. Participants must finish within 12 hours. At 12:00:00 the race director turns his back on the runners frantically trying to make the cut off time and fires a gun. It's game over. You can finish if you want, but there's no medal, no time and no record. No point? To some South Africans the runners who goes the distance, for nothing, is more symbolic than the winners. There is some solace for the first non-finisher, as he or she becomes an instant hero after being interviews like on TV and pictured on the front page of every newspaper. (This is a picture of our Comrades from Carnegie Harriers watching the gun fire)


Marathon de Sables is a 151 mile race - over 6/7 days - across the Sahara and is recognised as one of the hardest endurance races in the world. Mid-day temperatures can hit 50 degrees and the course is rocky with a huge chunk over sand dunes. Plus, competitors need to carry everything - with the exception of a tent - for the duration of the week. I know, I know, I bitch and whine at the first sign of heat and I carry more than my body weight just going to the work, but if it's the toughest race in the world then it's got to be on the list.

The Ultra-Trail South West is billed as UK's toughest footrace. It makes my bucket list because I just love the area and would love to explore more on foot. The UTSW (there are 60 mile and 100 mile options) takes place on the South West Coast Path, which is a beautiful, continuous, 630 mile, way marked trail that follows the rugged coastline of the UK's South West peninsular. Originally created to enable customs officers to navigate from coastal villages to remote coves and inlets to deter smugglers, the path weaves from Poole in Dorset to Minehead in Somerset boasting a total vertical gain of 35,031 meters. Each year the UTSW course will move to a different section of the SWCP. This has huge potential to be my 2013 focus.

Spartathlon is a historic 152 mile race that takes place in September in Greece. The Spartathlon revlives the footsteps of Pheidippides, an ancient Athenian long distance runner, who in 490 BC, before the battle of Marathon, was sent to Sparta to seek help in the war between the Greeks and the Persians.
According to the ancient Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides arrived in Sparta the day after his departure from Athens. In 1982 five officers of the British Royal Air Force travelled to Greece to ascertain whether it was possible to cover the miles separating the two towns in one and a half days. The team showed that the report by Herodotus was entirely plausible and so the race began.

Ultra Tour du Mont Blanc: I saw this race unfold from the sidelines in 2010 and it quickly eclipsed anything I'd ever run. If all the other famous races claim to be the "toughest", "best", "most spectacular" I think this race has earned it's place as the Mother F*%^$r of ultra-running. You could get a nosebleed just looking up at the peaks. Starting in Chamonix (France) the route is a 105 mile circuit of the alps taking in nearly 10,000 metres of ascent in France, Italy and Switzerland. Huge respect to the those who are the proud owners of the fabulous TNF gilets.

JOGLE: That's the full lenghth of the UK from John O'Groats to Landsend. A mere 860+ miles. Ultrarace.co.uk organise a trip which cover 55 miles per day for 16 days. The £2000 entry fee might seem a bit steep, but it includes travel, accommodation, food and support.

Marathons

Dubai Marathon: I was brought up in Dubai (in it's pre-Vegas days) and would like to return some day. Tokyo Marathon: Simply because it a city I've always wanted to visit and the Toronto Marathon: for the same reason. Disney Marathon: because the medal is awesome and it just looks like good fun. Although we're going to Florida next year, so we might have to find a suitable alternative.
Marathon du Medoc, because it combines my two favourite pastimes: Running and wine-drinking

Other bucket dreams


Ironman: This isn't even on my dream list. I WILL do an Ironman one day. I just need to dedicate the time and respect to the event deserves, so I'll wait until my ultra-running legs start going in reverse. The Ironman began as a challenge between a group of Navy Seals and consists of a 2.4 mile swim, a 112-mile bike ride and a 26.2 mile run. I've been working on my swimming for the last two years (with this long-term goal in mind) and I think I've got the running covered. Just the small matter of the 112 miles in a saddle and an open-water (gulp!) swim then.


Ben Nevis Race is up and down Britain's highest mountain at 4406ft. I've been up the Ben quite a few times and the thought of doing it as a race is quite frightening. Last time I was up there, Sonic popped the question. About 10 minutes before I stepped on ice and covered half the descent on my backside. I think he was hoping to cash in on me early :-)


Great North Run half marathon. just for sh*ts and giggles. And only in fancy dress. Just because.

That should keep me focused for the next decade or so. Although I'll probably add to the list more than I'll tick off. I'm off to put a few extra lines on this week's lottery.